Tony Kanaan had come so close so many times before that when the popular Brazilian finally succeeded in winning last year's Indianapolis 500 in his 12th attempt, the IndyCar racing community and legions of fans embraced him.

A year later, who becomes the sentimental favorite among drivers who have yet to win this race?

Most drivers mention homegrown Ed Carpenter, and that was before the race's only owner/driver put his No. 20 car on the pole for a second consecutive 500.

"It's probably Ed in many respects," said Graham Rahal, who starts his seventh Indy 500 from the 20th position. "First of all, his family owns this place. Second of all, he's from Indianapolis, he went to Butler, people get that and people like that. He's a small team and owns his own place. When Ed was on pole last year, everybody was excited."

Carpenter is the stepson of Tony George, one of the owners of Indianapolis Motor Speedway. But the 33-year-old pole sitter, who moved to Indianapolis when he was 4, doesn't put as much stock into the IMS angle in terms of sentimentality.

After Tony Kanaan finally won last year's race, drivers were asked: Who is a favorite to swig the milk for a first time? Ed Carpenter and Marco Andretti came to mind.
Phillip B. Wilson / The Star

"The Speedway is so special to not only the drivers but all the teams, competitors, mechanics, people who live in the city and especially Speedway," Carpenter said. "I think everyone feels they have ownership.

"You talk to people who love to tell you how many consecutive years they've been coming here and I love hearing those stories just because you feel the passion people have for the place like I do. I've never thought that this place meant any more to me than anyone else, because it's just that special of a place."

"It would be great for Ed to win," said JR Hildebrand, the 2011 runner-up who drives the No. 21 car for Ed Carpenter Racing. "He's been here a long time. His family is a big piece of Indy. That's got to be the popular choice. He stepped up, being a team owner, he's that much more a part of this series. And last year, he proved that he's legitimately in the mix to do it."

Team Penske's Will Power, who starts third, said, "Ed Carpenter, for sure. He's a crowd favorite."

"(Carpenter) has been quick. He's always been quick around here," said Wilson, who starts 14th. "Same with Ryan. He's done it all. He's been bumped out and he's qualified on the front row, so he's had the full experience of the month of May."

Who does T.K. say?

"That's a tough question. I would say Marco Andretti," Kanaan said of his former Andretti Autosport teammate. "He had that tough year, the year he finished second. It would be nice if I can't win. Marco has been around here a long time."

Andretti came within a front straight of winning in his 2006 Indy 500 debut before Sam Hornish Jr. passed him in the final 100 yards.

"I'd say Marco," said Ganassi Racing's Ryan Briscoe. "He came so close in 2006 and I think that was heartbreaking for obviously himself and for so many fans.

"I was in the grandstand for that race, up in Turn 1 watching. Sam deserved it. He was the class of the field that day and had a bad last pit stop. But it was heartbreaking for Marco. The Andretti name, it would mean so much to the family and all their fans for him to win it."

The 27-year-old Andretti, who starts his ninth 500 from sixth, is flattered his name gets mentioned.

"Wow, that's very nice," he said. "That's nice of my competitors to say that, but it's not for me to decide really. Definitely I'm out there gunning for it. I've been trying. I've been competitive, like T.K., every time out."

Andretti was fourth in last year's race and third in 2010 and '08.

"There's probably a lot of people who want to see me win and there's a lot of people that want to see Marco win," said Rahal, son of 1986 Indy 500 winner Bobby Rahal, who used to duel with Andretti's father, Michael. "But also there's a lot of people who don't want to see me win and don't want to see Marco win because the Rahal-Andretti rivalry goes back so far."

Carpenter, like Andretti, appreciates the vote of confidence. He hopes he learned something from last year, when he started first but finished 10th.

"To hear people think that I'm a sentimental favorite, that makes you feel nice," he said, "but it doesn't mean anything as far as going out and getting it done."